Cyberjournalist.net reports on two US athletes who blogs from the Olympics in Athens. Scott Goldblatt is on the U.S. swim team and is blogging for nj.com. What is more interesting is that U.S. officials told Goldblatt he can blog, “as long as I do not move into the territory of journalism” And Goldblatt says that Canada is not allowing its athletes to blog. Why a special blog gag order? Can they update their regular web pages? There’s nothing you can say in a blog that you can’t say on any other web page so to forbid blogging doesn’t serve any purpose.

While we are on the Olympic theme, today we got photos and video coverage from Kostas Kenteris in a hospital in Greece. This must be the worst crisis management case in years. Why is this guy still wearing his shoes in bed and why can’t we see the faces of the people working in the hospital? Even if Kenteris and Thanou are innocent, does anybody believe that the motorcycle accident and the hospital visit are not fake?

Consider for one moment that Kenteris and Thanou have not been using illegal substances and that they were not informed of the doping test that would take place in Athens. And that the motorcycle accident actually happened. Anyone who have spent two weeks in PR would recommend that they:

1. Show what you got: The entire world thinks you’re a cheat and everyone is trying to hunt you down, so you don’t hide in a hospital for two days sending out suspicious video footage wearing sneakers in bed. If you’re hurt, show it to the public. Take a photograph of the bike, it must be a wreck, right? Send out a press release with the exact time and location where the accident happened. And do your best to find the mystery man who drove you to the hospital.

2. Volunteer to take a doping test. You’re innocent, so you might as well step up to the plate and let them examine you.

3. Talk to the press: Unless you’re in a coma, you can talk to the press. Hiding isn’t making journalists go away, to the contrary they will dig deeper and assume that you are guilty.

Instead, Kenteris and Thanou are caught up in what looks like lies and half-truths. Either they are guilty or they have a very bad manager.